


come up here [stand with me]

by onefootonego (startingXI)



Series: [once upon] a different life [1]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Gen, a supergirl landing au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 21:16:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16730781
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/startingXI/pseuds/onefootonego
Summary: what if it wasn’t clark who found kara when she crash landed on earth?what if clark was so used to hearing the crashing of space craft onto the planet that he long ago stopped checking for the cousin he was supposed to have. so, what if kara crashes into a field outside of a tiny town called blue springs, nebraska. what if the first person she meets on planet earth is not her cousin, nor jeremiah danvers or his daughter or his wife. what if kara stumbled from a cornfield and scared the ever-living shit out of a bruised and freezing fourteen-year-old maggie sawyer?





	come up here [stand with me]

**Author's Note:**

> aka - **one. [ maggie 17 – kara 16 ] [march]**

together, they are sitting in the rusted bed of the pick-up. a patchwork blanket is laid out underneath them, jackets rolled up as pillows are tucked underneath their heads. maggie and kara are laying side by side, breathing in quiet unison. they drove out here for no reason in particular, just like they’ve done for so many nights before. sometimes kara teaches maggie about the stars, sometimes they talk about school, and sometimes maggie teaches kara the soft ways to control her breathing, to focus on the quiet in a loud world. 

“maggie,” kara starts, her voice unnervingly soft in the dark “i’ve been thinking.” 

maggie’s breath catches in her chest for she is sure of what is to follow. she has been preparing for this nightmare since the thought arrived to her years ago. 

the thought of kara leaving. the thought of kara having no reason to stay once they graduated. kara with all her abilities and her powers and no reason at all to stay in holmesville or lincoln or anywhere near the midwest. she knows kara has the world at her fingertips, if she wanted. maggie can’t think of a reason kara wouldn’t want that, wouldn’t want to explore and eat her way across the time zones. 

“what about?” maggie asks, and she wonders if kara heard the way her heart entered triple time, or the way she’s barely breathing. 

kara must, maggie muses, because kara’s hand covers hers and squeezes gently, just once “about the offer from nebraska.” 

the university of, maggie knows immediately what kara is referring to. it would be impossible to forget the dual acceptance letters that had been sitting on the kitchen table waiting for them one afternoon just weeks ago. maya, so proud of them both that her eyes shone with tears. 

“what about it?” maggie asks, her voice a thin whisper. she does not want the memories of tonight to taint the happiness of that night. of their favourite foods spread across a table, of songs being sung and sitting on the porch together, long after maya had gone to bed, talking softly about what their parents would have thought. 

maggie wonders if she can keep her gaze fixed firmly on the sky, on the multitude of stars. she wonders if tears will fall when kara – 

“i think i want to defer.” kara says, and maggie can hear kara turning her head, she can imagine kara studying her profile “for a year.” kara clarifies “i think, i think i want to stay here, work on the farm with maya. i –“ her voice wavers and trails off. 

maggie looks over at her trying to process what she’s just heard “you, you want to stay? here?” she is confused, that much is blindingly obvious to kara. she can see maggies furrowed brows and the way maggie half sits up to get a better look at kara “you want to stay on the farm?”

“yes?” except it’s more of a question now, and maggie can feel kara’s uncertainty radiating off her in waves “i- if that’s okay?” 

“of course, it’s okay.” maggie breathes and she can feel the hot sting of tears in her eyes “of course you can stay. i mean, you’ll need to ask maya but,” she trails off, taking a deep and shaking breath “of course you can stay.” she repeats, softer now. 

“maggie,” kara says just as quietly “maggie what did you think i was going to say?” there’s a note of alarm, of panic in kara’s voice that maggie hates. 

“i-“ maggie starts, stops, she lays back down fully, eyes tracking the movement of a passing plane “i thought,” she says, taking a deep breath “i thought you would want to leave.” she admits finally. 

“leave?” kara asks “and go where?” 

“anywhere.” maggie says “anywhere you want. you could go anywhere.” 

“but why would i?” kara says and there’s something soft and sad in her voice that makes maggie want to hug her “why would i leave you, leave maya, after everything…” she trails off. 

“you could go anywhere in the world.” maggie says. 

“that’s not the point.” kara says “i –“ she swallows hard and takes a shallow breath “why would i leave my family?” 

the last word trips something in maggie, 

she not sure she’s ever heard kara call her that before. four years they’ve been living together, they’re grown from strangers to siblings – yet curled in the back of maggies mind was the conviction that kara would leave. that kara would escape this place. yet it seems the exact opposite is true. 

“that’s what we are, right?” kara asks, and maggie can feel her suddenly tense, suddenly unsure of their standing “i mean, i – you –“ kara is stumbling over her words, over the rush of ideas in her head. 

“of course we are.” maggie breathes and she reaches for kara’s hand, reassuring her “i just, i thought, it’s-“ 

“you thought i would leave.” kara says, not accusatory, just stating, curious. 

“it’s just,” maggie tries to explain, and she feels karas fingers slip into the divot of her wrist, seeking out her pulse point, the move is so habitual, so steadfast and grounding that maggie is able to take a breath and explain with slightly more coherency “you could do so much.” 

“but why do it without you?” kara says “without maya?” she takes a deep breath and maggie realises the fingers on her pulse point are grounding kara too “i lost everyone once.” she reminds softly “i’m not big on losing anyone else.” 

maggie feels her stomach twist “i didn’t think about it like that.” she feels the urge to apologise, but kara cuts her off with gentle words. 

“that’s okay.” she says “that’s okay. but now you know, right?” 

“i do.” maggie nods, feeling warmer and more reassured “and you, you know you’re my sister right? you’re always gonna be my kid sister.” 

“even though i am older than you.” 

“i don’t care that you spent twenty-four years in the phantom zone.” maggie replies, and it’s only because she’s been by kara’s side through the nightmares and the attacks of claustrophobia that maggie knows she can make that joke “you’re my kid sister of the corn.” 

“you’re never going to drop that are you?” kara says with a tired smile as she sits up and folds her arms around her knees. 

“nope.” maggie says still laid out on her back, and they can both feel the weight of their earlier conversation drifting away. 

they let silence fall, sitting, listening to the sound of the wind and baxter the dog romp around in the grass, startling tired cows in the field next over. the breeze is cool, but the night is warm. the sky is clear and the stars are bright. it’s nearly perfect. 

kara nudges maggie’s thigh with her toe “do you think maya will let me stay?” 

maggie, hands folded beneath her head glances over at kara and nods “’course she will. she’s put up with you this long.” maggie teases. 

kara rolls her eyes “seriously,” she says “i – i’m just not ready to move.” she admits. 

“not even with me?” 

“i- i don’t want you to have to worry about me.” kara says “i want you to be able to go and have fun and not worry about your alien kid sister.” 

“i’m always going to worry about you.” maggie points out “but if deferring for a year is what you really want to do, then do it. maya loves you more than she loves me anyway.” 

kara snorts “that’s shit and you know it.” 

“don’t let her catch you swearing like that.” 

“oh, that’s rich coming from you.” kara says “what was it that you shouted at the umpire in softball last week?” 

“i never said anything.” maggie objects and her gaze drifts to baxter. 

the german shepard emerges from the darkness soaking wet and looking very proud of himself. clenched in his mouth is a stick three times as wide as he is. both watch as he approaches the truck and then in one motions deposits the stick on the bed of the truck and looks at the pair of them expectantly.

“that’s your job.” maggie points out. 

“why? because i can throw farther than you?” 

“you have an unnatural advantage.” 

“call it what you like.” kara says, reaching forward and grabbing the stick. 

she can feel the bark peeling away and sticking to her hand, but she lifts and hurls the stick into the night. both she and maggie watch baxter tear after it “that should keep him occupied.” maggie says, then inching out of the way as kara wipes her stick and dirt covered hand on maggies jeans “what the-“ she yelps “i just washed these. kara i was gonna wear these tomorrow.” 

kara shrugs “i’m just living up to the kid sister traits. apparently it’s very important on your planet that i be annoying.” 

“my planet? this is your planet too now.” 

kara beams and maggie pushes up onto her elbows, stifling a yawn “when the b-man gets back, want to head in?” 

“no one should ever call baxter, ‘the b-man.’” kara points out “but sure. he’ll be back in like, thirty seconds.” there’s a pause and then “i think i’ll talk to maya tonight. about, staying here.” 

“she’ll probably be thrilled.” maggie says, sitting up fully and shifting so she’s perpendicular to kara. 

“are you just saying that to make me feel better?” 

“no.” maggie says “and maybe a little. but she loves you, you’re as much hers as i am.” 

kara nods, processing and listening “i just don’t think i’m ready to leave yet.” as she speaks, baxter emerges, loping along with his stick. 

“then you don’t have to.” maggie promises “the world will still be here for you, when you’re ready.” 

he drops the stick back on the truck and this time kara picks it up, throwing it in the opposite direction, the direction of the house. baxter takes off once more as kara hears the stuck bury itself in the high up branches of the black oak tree.

“whoops.” she shrugs. 

“you hit a window again?” 

“pshh,” kara says, hopping out of the back of truck after maggie “stick is in the tree.” 

“you know that probably won’t stop him. damn dog would climb the tree if he could” maggie says, then “you want to drive back?” she holds out the keys for kara. 

“are you sure?” 

maggie nods “i’ve got an ap lit test tomorrow and if you crash us i may be able to get out of it.” 

kara snatches the keys and rolls her eyes “so supportive you are.” 

“at least i’m not like maya.” maggie points out “clutching at the dashboard all _dios mía maggie, the break remember the break please._ ” 

they erupt into fits of giggles at maggies impersonation as kara climbs into the drivers seat 

“just remember, turn the ignition, foot on the gas, just a little bit of pressure.” maggie coaches, watching kara carefully “that’s it.” she says, and then the truck jerks forward “easy.” maggie says “less pressure than that.” 

kara lessens until she can barely feel the gas pedal under her foot. 

“perfect.” maggie says “just cruise like this.” 

“driving is hard.” kara decides out loud. 

“you just need practice.” maggie says as they cruise along the farm road “relax your grip on the steering wheel, you’re not actually going to crash us.” 

kara relaxes her tense muscles. 

the windows are down and the air that filters in is cool. snippets of the radio come through between the static, old country songs fitting for a thursday night. they drive the road back to the house, parking the truck on the gravel pad and seeing baxter already curled up on the porch next to maya on the swing. 

maya looks up as she sees them both and smiles warmly “done all your homework?” 

“yes.” maggie and kara say at the same time, then maggie says “actually, i just want to look over some notes for my test tomorrow.” she glances at kara and gives her an encouraging nod before pulling open the screen door. 

“and what about you,” maya asks “anything you want to look over?” 

kara moves to the rocking chair on the porch and sits herself down into it. one of the cats immediately emerges from the shadows and jumps into her lap, demanding attention. baxter eyes the cat uncertainly, but maya strokes behind his ears, calming him. 

“no,” kara says “not tonight. i wanted, actually, to talk to you about something.” 

“of course,” maya says “anything, you know that.” 

“it’s about college.” 

“go on.” maya encourages. 

kara takes a deep breath and focuses on the thrumming heartbeat of the cat in her lap “i think i want to defer for a year.” she keeps her gaze focused on the truck. 

“kara,” maya says gently “kara you know you’re welcome to do that if you want.” 

kara lets out a relieved breath “i just, i wanted to make sure.” she says “you’ve already done-“ 

“you’re my child.” maya says firmly “just like maggie is my child. i will do anything and everything for you.” 

kara lets out a wet breath and the cat presses itself against her “thank you.” she says softly “i just, i don’t feel ready. lincoln is a big city. loud. lots of people. and i, i don’t want maggie to have to worry about me all the time.” 

“she’s always going to worry about you.” maya says “like you always worry about her. but if you want to stay, this is a place you can always call home.” 

there’s the snap of the screen door and maggie emerges, notecards in hand “told you.” she says, tapping kara’s shoulder. 

“niña,” maya scolds “it’s not nice to eavesdrop.” 

“i wasn’t.” maggie says sitting down in a chair between kara and maya “for too long.” she amends when maya eyes her for a beat. 

kara laughs and maya smiles “so,” she asks “what is your exam on tomorrow.” 

and just like that, the conversation drifts on to other things. 

**

**Author's Note:**

> hey y'all. i'm pretty excited with this new au and i have three parts of it written. there may be more, there may not. i'm not quite sure at this point. i just find this world a really exciting one to explore. let me know your thoughts in the comments section below or come shout at me on tumblr at 4beit.


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